Washing device for photographic negatives.



No. 651,923. I Patented lune 19,1900.

J; L. JENKS.

WASHING DEVICE FOR PHOTOGRAPH l6 NEGATIVES".

(Application filed May 5, 1900.)

L .(No Model.)

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ment of these clips.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFI JAMES L. JENKS, OF PAWTUCKET, RHODE ISLAND.

WASHING DEVICE FOR PHOT OGRAPHIC NEGATIVES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters, Patent No, 651,923, dated June19, 1900. Application filed May 5, 1900. Serial No. 15,653. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it mayconocrn:

Be it known that I, JAMES L. J ENKS, a citizen of the UnitedStatesof'America, and a resident of Pawtucket, county of Providence, andState of Rhode Island,'ha've invented cer tain new and usefulImprovements in VVashing Devices for Photographic Negatives, of whichthe following is a specification.

My invention relatesto improvements in washing devices for photographicnegatives in which the negatives are placed upright in a box or tankarranged in such a manner that the water flows in a horizontal currentover the entire surface of each negative; and the'purpose of myinvention is to provide a washing device for photographic negatives inwhich the negatives may be washed in the shortest possible time and withthe least possible consumption of water. I accomplish this purpose bythe device shown in the accompany ing drawings, in which- Figure 1 is aperspective of my invention;

Fig. 2, a horizontal section through the dotted line 00 0c of Fig. l,and Fig. 3 a detail of one of the clips or supports. Like letters referto like parts throughout. In Fig. 1, A is a rectangular hollow box ortank of a size suitable for the size of negative to be washed. Upon oneface of the tank is the bent tube g, which communicates with theinterior of the tank, as shown, and terminates at its upward end with afunnel-shaped receptacle F. The opposite face is provided with the tubeh, having a right-angled elbow, as seen in Fig. 2, and which may berevolved about its horizontal portion so as to assume a verticalposition or a horizontal position or any position midway between thetwo. b b b b b b b b are clips for holding the negatives in an uprightposition. The principal feature of my invention is the arrange- Oommencing with the back or most remote clip, (seen in Fig. 1 on theleft-hand side of the tank,) this clip, it will be seen, is fastened tothe inner face of the tank and in close proximity to it. The next clipI) projects away from theinner face of the tank by means of the bracket0, leaving a space between the clip and the side of the tank, so thatthe water may freely pass through the same. The third clip is fixedclose to the face of the tank, and so on alternately, one clip beingfixed to the face of the tank and the nextone projecting from the faceby the bracket 0. Upon the opposite or right-hand side of the tank theclips are arranged in a similar manner, only the clip upon one sidewhich is fixed to the side of the tank is opposed on the'opposite sideof the tank by a clip which projects bymeans of the bracket 0, and so onthroughout the entire tank.

The clip and bracket are seen most clearly in Fig. 3,'in which I)representsthe projecting clip, and c o the bracket at the top andbottom, leaving a water-space between the clip and the side of the tank,as shown; The result of this arrangement is readily seen from Fig. 2.The waterwhich is used'to wash the negatives comes through the funnel Fand the tube g into the tank. As it cannotescape around the left endofthe negative, it is forced to take its course across the face of thenegative and through the water-space at the right hand end of the tank,between the clip b and the face of the tank. Not being able to pass thesecond negative at the right-hand edge thereof at b, the water thenflows through the entire space between the first and second negativesand through the water-space at the lefthand end of the second negative,as shown by the arrows, and so on around every negative until the watermakes its final exit through the tube h. This tube It is adjusted insuch a manner that the orifice is placed on a level with the top line ofthe negatives. By this means the water is prevented from flowing overthe tops of the negatives in the washing process and iscompelledtofollow the zigzag course around each negative andacross its entiresurface until it makes its exit through h.

The inlet-tube 9 may be placed anywhere in the face of the tank A, butpreferably nearer the clip which is fastened to the side of the tank, asshown, as in this manner the water passes over theentire surface of thefirst negative, which might not be the "case if the inlet were placednearer the projecting clip I). In like manner the tube k may be locatedat any portion of the face of the tank A, provided It is of sufficientlength, so that when in an upright position the orifice would bepractically'on a level with the top of the tank. It will be seen that bythis arrangement a constant flow of water is secured over the surface ofeach negative, so that a mini mum supply keeps a constant current movingin such a manner as to insure the thorough.

cleansing of the negative throughout its entire surface in the shortestpossible time. Again, the current being horizontal and not vertical, anysediment which may collect in the bottom of the tank is not stirred upby the current of the water,and thus the surfaces of the negatives arekept free from contamination.

Having now described 'my invention, what I, claim, and desire to secureby Letters Pat cut, is--- i 1; A washing device for photographicnegatives consisting of a hollow tank of rectangular cross-section,having an inlet for water upon one side, an outlet upon the oppositeside, and, vertical clips for holding negatives upon the two remainingsides, said clips being so arranged that clips fixed close to the innersides of the tank alternate with. clips separated from such inner sidesby a bracket,

, in such a manner that the water passes around one end of the firstnegative, thence around the opposite end of the next negative, and so oncontinuously throughout the entire tank, substantially as set forth. 7

2. A negative-washing device consisting of a tank of rectangularcross-section, having an inlet on one side, an outlet upon the oppositeside, said outlet consisting of a pipe having a right-angled elbow andcapable of revolving upon its horizontal portion so that the waterlevelwithin the tank may be varied at will; and clips within the tank adaptedto support the negatives in a vertical position, and so arranged thatthe first, third, fifth, &c. clips are attached close to the inner-faceof the tank while the second, fourth, sixth, &c., clips project awayfrom said inner face by means of a bracket so as to leave a waterspacebetween theclip and such inner face; and the clips upon the oppositeinner faces of the tank being so arranged that a projecting

